Reclining article of furniture



' 1949. A. LORENZ 2,478,770

I RECL INING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed May 1, '1945 1 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4/; INVENTOR 44/70 Z aef/vz BY nail 4;, ATTORNEY Filed May 1, 1945 v s Sheets-Sheqt 3 Aug. 9, 1949. i A. LdR'ENz 78.,770

RECLINING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE;

556 H 624 (J 656 I 620 6/0 i 622 6/6 627 INVENTOR 4/vr0A/Zaez-wz BY Q 1. ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICEI A.....II...T;.;;'ITZZTZZE;FI;I'5......

This is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. #552,987 relating to a Reclining article of furniture, filed September 7, 1944.

The present invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to a reclining article of furniture wherein the seat and a downward extension of the back-rest form movable links and a portion of a support forms the stationary link of a polygonal compound linkage.

An object of the invention is to provide a reclining article of furniture of above described type, wherein the movable members of the article of furniture are veryv well balanced, so that an occupant resting in the article of furniture may bring the movable members of the article of furniture from one position into another position without great effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reclining article of furniture of above described type with a leg-rest, which is pivoted to the seat and controlled by a controlling mechanism in such a manner, that the leg-rest may be swung through a relatively large angle during a movement of the members of the article of furniture from their sitting position into their extreme reclined position, so that the leg-rest may be brought into a substantially horizontal position when the members of the article of furniture are in their extreme reclined position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reclining article of furniture of above described type with or without a leg-rest pivoted to the seat and controlled by a controlling mechanism, wherein the members of the article of furniture may be adjusted by the user of the article of furniture in such a. manner, that various changes in the angles between the members of the article of furniture may be obtained during movements of the movable members of the article of furniture from the sitting position into a certain reclined position.

Still another object of the invention is to improve upon reclining articles of furniture as now ordinarily made.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims thereof, certain embodiments of the same being described in the specification and being illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an adjustable reclining arm-chair according to the inven- 6 Claims. (01. 155-106) lower connecting link of the polygonal'linkage. one side frame of the chair being partlybroken away so as to show the mechanism of the armchair,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the locking device of the chair shown in Fig. 1, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, in an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-1 of F 2,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a diflerent embodiment of an adjustable reclining arm-chair according to the invention, whereinthe guiding link is pivoted to an extension of the lower connecting link of the polygonal linkage, one side frame of the chair being partly broken away for .the exposure of the mechanical parts of the chair,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of still another embodiment of an adjustable reclining chair according to the invention with a leg-rest pivoted to the front portion of the seat and controlled by a controlling link pivoted to the back-rest, one

bodiment of an adjustable reclining arm-chair according to the invention, wherein the guiding link is pivoted to the front connecting link of the polygonal linkage, one side frame being partly broken away, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of an adjustable reclining chair, wherein the guiding link is pivoted to an extension of the front connecting link, one side frame being broken away.

Referring now to Fig. 1, III generally indicates the support of an arm-chair, which may be of any conventional type. According to Fig. 1, the support I 0 comprises two side frames H and II made of tubular material and connected with each other by a base frame IS; the side frames provide the arm-rests of the, chair.

I! generally indicates a back-rest, l4 indicate a seat, the rear end of which is pivoted to said back-rest l2 at I 6. A pair of connecting links l8 and 20 is arranged on each side of the chair. Said pair of connecting links includes the lower connecting link l8 and the front connecting link tion, wherein the guiding link is pivoted to the 66 20 pivotally connected with each other at 22,

the effective length of the front connecting link being smaller than that of the lower connecting link. The rear end of each lower connecting link is is pivoted below the seat at 28 to a downward extension 24 of the back-rest i2. The upper end of each front connecting link 20 is pivoted to the front portion of the seat l4 at 26. The pivotally interconnected extension 24 of the .back-rest l2, seat links 18 and 20 form a four-sided link-system, which is swingably mounted on lugs 2a of the side frames of the support ill at the pivot point l8 between the back-rest l2 and the seat l4. A guiding link 30 is arranged on each side or the chair for controlling the movements of the movable members or links l2, l4, i8, 20. One end 01 each guiding link 30 is pivoted to a connecting element 33 of the side frame at 82 at a point spaced from the pivotal connection It between the four-sided link-system 24, I4, 20, I8 and the support In, the other end of each guiding link 30 is pivoted to an intermediate point of the lower connecting link 18 at the point 84 spaced from the pivotal connection 22 between the two connecting links l8 and 20.

As will be readily understood, the various members of the link-system oi the chair may be readily made of such a length relative to each other, that the movable members of the chair are very well balanced and may be easily brought from one position into another. Fig. 1 shows in full lines the movable members of the chair in a" sitting position. When the occupant of the chair leans his body against the back-rest l2, he may move the movable members of the chair without great eflort from the-sitting position into a reclined position as shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 1.

According to Fig. 1, the chair is provided with a locking device generally indicated by 40, by means of which the movable members of the chair may be held in any desired comfortable position. As shown in said Fig. 1 and in Figs. 2 and 3, said locking device 48 comprises a locking rod 42 pivoted to the seat M at 44 and slidably engaged with a clip 43. A supporting element 4! is secured to a connecting member 43 of the side frame I I. A bolt 48 having a head 45at one l4, and pair of connectin 1 guano mounted on the locking rod 42 provided with a series of threaded bores 81 and 69. Said rings or stops 36 and 38 may be adjusted in various positions by means of screws I l,,'|3 threaded into one of said bores 61 and 69 respectively. The sitting position of the members of the chair is limited by an engagement of the ring or stop 36 with the clip 46 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the extreme reclined position of the members of the chair is limited by an engagement of the ring or stop 38 with said clip 48.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the footrest 52 is mounted on the rear portion of the base frame ii of the support i0. 'Such an arrangement of a foot-rest 52 is advisable, if chairs according to the invention are arranged in rows, for example, in an airplane, railroad car, or theater. If desired, the occupant of a chair may place hisfeet on the foot-rest 52 mounted on the rear portion of the chair in front of him.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, 4H] generally indicates the support of an arm-chair.

Said support comprises two sides frames 4| I, 4 l3,

connected with each other by cross bars 4H, 436, 438. The rear end of the seat 4 is pivoted to the back-rest 4|2 at'4 IS. The showing of Fig. 4 is somewhat diagrammatical, the cushions on the back-rest and the seat are omitted. It is selfevident that such cushions may be arranged on or its ends and having a threaded portion 41 at I its other end passes through a bore 48 of the supporting element 4|, through the bore 5! of a washer 53 interposed between the supporting element 4| and the clip 46. through the bores 55 of the clip 48, and through the bore 81 of a sleeve 59 slidably arranged in a bore 3| of the connecting member 43 and interposed between the clip 46 and a locking knob 58 screwed on the threaded end portion of the bolt 48. A nose 83 arranged on the bolt 48' and engaged with a recess 85 of the i supporting element 4! prevents a rotation of the bolt 48 by the locking knob ill. When the locking knob 58 is loosened, the locking rod 42 may freely slide in th clip 48, and, consequently, the movable members of the chair may freely be moved from one position into another one. when the locking knob to is tightened, the sleeve 58 is urged against the clip 46, whereby said clip is tightened on the locking rod 42, so that the members of the chair are held in their position.

Furthermore, the locking rod 42 is provided with adjustable limiting means or stops 38 and 38 for limiting the extreme sitting position and v the extreme reclined position'ot the movable members of the chair. As best shown in Fig. 3, said stops 38 and 38 are in the shape of rings the back-rest and theseat, if desired. The backrest 2 has an extension 424 projecting downwardly from the pivot point 4 I 6 between the backrest 2 and seat 4. Again, the pivotally interconnected extension 424 of the back-rest 4l2, the seat 4 and the pair of connecting links 4", 420 form a four-sided link-system swingably mounted on the support M0 at 6 for movement about an axis coinciding with the axis of the pivotal connection between the back-rest and the seat. According to Fig. 4, however, an extension 4l9- projectin beyond the pivotal connection 422 between the two connecting links 418, 420 is rigidly connected with the lower connecting link 448, and one end of the guiding link 430 is pivoted to said extension 419 of the lower connecting link 4 [8 at a point 42l spaced from said pivotal connetion 422 between the two connecting links, while the other end of said guiding link is pivoted to a side frame of the support at 432. Furthermore, according to Fig. 4, the effective length of the front connecting link 42!! between the pivots 426 and 422 equals the effective length of the lower connecting link 418 between the pivots 422 and 423. Moreover, the chair is provided with a locking device 440 substantially corresponding to the locking device 40 described above in detail in connection with the chair shown in Figs. 1-3; the

locking device 440 of the chair shown in Fig. 4

permitting the locking of the movable members of the chair in any desired position, however, is not equipped with limiting means for limiting the sitting position and extreme reclined position of the members of the chair. According to Fig. 4, the extreme sitting position shown in full lines is limited by the cross bar 436, acting as a stop in cooperation with the extension 424 of the back-rest and the extreme reclined position shown in dash and dot lines is limited by the cross bar 438 acting as a stop in cooperation with the back-rest H2. The operation of the chair shown in Fig. 4 corresponds to the operation of the chair shown in Fig. 1.

According to Fig. 5, the support ,5"! is made of a single piece of tubular material, shaped in such a way that it forms the two side frames.

The seat 6" is pivoted to the back-rest III at M8. The back-rest has a downward extension 524 arranged in the center of the chair. One end of a single lower connecting link 518 is pivoted to the extension 524 of the back-rest M2 at 523 and the other end of said lower connecting link is pivoted to one end of a single front'connecting link 520 at 522. The other end of said front conarranged on the seat 5 in the center of the chair. Again, the downward extension 524 of the back-rest, the seat 6, and the pair of connecting links 5l8, 520 form a four-sided link system swingably mounted on the support 5lll at 5l6. One end of a single guiding link 630-is pivoted to an intermediate point 534 of the lower connecting link 518, the other end of said guiding link is swingably mounted on a transverse rod 532 carried by the side frames of the support 5 I 0.

According to Fig. 5, the chair 'is equipped with a leg-rest 558 pivoted to the front end of the seat 5 at 556. On each side of the chair an extension 515 projecting upwardly from the pivotal connection 560 between the leg-rest 558 and the seat 5 is rigidly connected with said legrest. On each side of the chair one end of a controlling link 562 is pivoted to said extension 515 of the leg-rest 558 at 564; the other end of said controlling link' 562 is pivoted to a lug 511 of the back-rest 5l2 at 588. The controlling links 562 providing the arm-rests of the chair serve to control the movements of the leg-rest 558.

When the occupant sitting in the chair leans his body against the back-rest, the movable members of the chair may be brought from the sitting position shown in full lines into a reclined position shown in dash and dot lines. Duringsuch a change in the position, themovements of the back-rest and the seat are controlled by the links of the polygonal linkage in the same manner as described above in connection with Fig. 1, and the swinging movement of the leg-rest from its rearwardly inclined position into a substantially horizontal position about the pivot 568 is controlled by the controlling link 562. The sitting position is limited by a stop 536 mounted on the support 5H! for cooperation with the seat 514, and the extreme reclined position is limited by a stop 538 mounted on the support for cooperation with the back-rest. A locking device 548 of the type described above in .connection with the locking device 40 of the chair shown in Fig. 1 may be used for holding the movable members of the chair in any desired position.

In the chair shown in Fig. 6, 6l0 indicates the support comprising side frames 6| I, 6l3 connected with each other by cross-bars 6", 636, 638. The rear end of the seat 6 is pivoted to the back-rest H2 at M6. The rear end of the lower connecting link H8 is pivoted to the extension 624 of the back-rest at 623, and the upper end of the front connecting link 628 is pivoted to the front end of the seat 6 at 526. Said pivotal connection 626 connects also the leg-rest 658 with the seat. On each side of thechair one necting link 520 is pivoted at m to a lug m 8|!) at M8 at a point spaced from the pivotal connection 682 between the guiding link 668 and the support 6 I 0. Thus. the chair comprises a first link-system having three movable links 624, M8, 638 and one stationary link formed by the portion of the support 6! betweenthe pivots H6 and 632 and a second link-system having four movable links 624, M8, 628 and 6. The links 624 and H8 are common to both link-systems, so that said link-systems being superimposed form a polygonal compound linkage. The movements of the leg-rest 658 are controlled by the controlling link 662, one end of which'is pivoted to the leg-rest 658 at 664, the other end of which is pivoted to the extension of the back-rest 624 at 680. The sitting position shown in full lines is limited by the cross bar ,636 cooperating with the extension 624 of the back-rest, and the extreme reclined position is limited by the cross bar 638 cooperating with the back-rest H2. The movable members of the chair may be held in any desired position by means of the locking device 640 of the type described above.

The chair shown in Fig. 6 has furthermore someadditional useful features by the arrangement of means, whereby the position of the pivotal connection between two movable members of the chair may be adjusted. According to Fig. 6 the seat N4, the lower connecting link 6| 8, the extension 624, and the leg-rest 658 are provided with series of holes 666. As will be readily understood, the pins 622, 623, 626, 634, 664, 680 may be inserted by the user of the chair into selected holes of said series of holes 666. Depending on the selection of the holes, the distance between two or more pivotal connections of the movable members may be changed with the result of different relative positions between the movable members of the chair in various reclined positions. For example, if the user of the chair prefers a less inclined position of the seat in the extreme reclined position, than that shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 6, he may obtain this feature by changing the position of one or more of the pins 622, 623, 626. Furthermore, for a still greatenvariety of the adjustments, the front connecting link 628 and the guiding link 638 consist of telescopic elements 619, 68!, and 668, 610

end of a guiding link 630 is pivoted to an intermediate point of the lower connecting link 6! at 634, while the other end of said guiding link 6311 is pivoted to a side frame of the support at 632. The four-sided link-system formed by the extension 624 of the back-rest, the pair of connecting links H8, 628, and the seat 6| 4 is swingably mounted on the side frames of the support respectively, which may be held in any adjusted position by a set screw 683 and 612 respectively. Furthermore, if the user of the chair prefers a different position of the leg-rest in the extreme reclined position than that, shown in Fig. 6, he may obtain this feature by changing the position of one or more of the pins 664, 680. Moreover, the controlling link 662 consists of two telescopic elements 615, 616, which may be held in any adjusted position relative to each other by a set screw 618. For example, ifthe length of the telescopic controlling linkc662 is adjusted in the manner shown in Fig. 6, the user of the chair may bring the leg-rest 658 and the seat 6| 4 in alignment with each other when themovable members of the chair are held in the sitting position or a reclined position by extending the length of be obtained by shortening the length of said telescopic controlling link to a certain extent before the movable member of the chair are .Said support comprises two side frames 7 I brought from the sitting position into the reclined position. Furthermore, the arrangement of a telescopic front connecting link 820 and a telescopic guiding link 630 and the series of holes permits a change of the position of said front connecting link and guiding link relative to each other, so that they may be brought into a crosswise arrangement, i'or example corresponding to the cross-wise arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, H0 generally indicates the support of an arm-chair. Ill and "3 connected with each other by cross bars H1. The rear end of the seat H4 is pivotedto the back-rest H2 at H6. The back-rest H2 has a downward extension 124. The pivotally interconnected extension I24 of the back-rest, the seat H4, and the pair of connecting links H8, I20 form a four-sided link-system, swingably mounted on the support H0 at H6. In the chair shown in said Fig. '7, one end of the guiding link I3! is pivoted to a side frame of the support at III at a point spaced from the pivotal connection H6 between the four-sided link-system and the support, while the other end of said guiding link is pivoted to an intermediate point of the front connecting link 120 at a point spaced from the pivotal-connection 122 between the two connecting links H8, I20. The efiective length of the front connecting link between the pivots I28 and 122 is larger than the effective length of the lower connecting link H8 between the pivots 122 and 123. The sitting position shown in full lines is limited by a stop I36 mounted on a side frame for cooperation with the extension 124 of the back-rest, and the extreme reclined position shown in dash and dot lines is limited by a stop I38 mounted on a side frame for cooperation with the back-rest. The movable members of the chair may be held in any desired position by means of the locking device 140 of the type described above.

In the chair shown in Fig. 8, again the downward extension 824 of the back-rest M2, the seat Ill and the pair of pivotally interconnected connecting links SIB, 820 from a four-sided linksystem swingably mounted on the support 810 at Iii. According to Fig. 8, however, an extension "I projecting beyond the pivotal connection 822 between the connecting links "8, 820 is rigidly connected with the front connecting link 820.

One end of the guiding link 830 is pivoted to the support lib at 832, while the other end of said guiding link 830 is pivoted to the extension 821 of the connecting link 820 at a pint 829 spaced from the pivotal connection 822 between the two connecting links H8, 820. Thus, the guiding link "I and the lower connecting ling 8l8 are in a cross-wise arrangement relative toeach other. The sitting position shown in full lines is limited by a stop 8" arranged on the support for cooperation with the extension 824 of the backrest andthe extreme reclined position shown in dash and dot lines is limited by a stop 838 arranged on the support for cooperation with the back-rest. The movable members of the chair may be held in any desired position by means of a locking device 840 of the type described above.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, that the invention may also be applied to various other types of reclining articles of furniture, such as garden chairs, chairs for use in railroad cars,

8 chairs for use in airplanes, desk chairs, etc, that elements shown in one of the Pigs. may also be applied to embodiments shown in other Figs,

where such elements are not shown, and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion or arrangment of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those, herein shown and described, may 'be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, it is mentioned, that the pivotal connection of the four-sided link-system with the support must not necessarily coincide with the pivotal connection between the back-rest and the seat as shown in the drawings; the dour-sided linksystem could be pivoted to the support at an intermediate point of the back-rest or seat.

What I claim is:

1. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a back-rest having a downwardly extending extension, a seat, the rear end portion of said seat being pivoted'to said back-rest, a front connecting link, a lower connecting link below the plane of the seat, one end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat. the other end of said-front connecting link being pivoted to the front end portion of said lower connecting link, the rear end portion of said lower connecting link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest, a support, at least one of said two first mentioned members being swingably mounted on said support, a guiding link, one end of said guiding link being pivoted to said support, the other end of said guiding link being pivoted to a connecting link of said two connect- 2. A reclining article of furniture, comprising:

a back-rest having a downwardly extending extension, a seat, the rear end portion of said seat being pivoted to said back-rest, a front connecting link, a lower connecting link below the plane of the seat, one end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, the other end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front end portion of said lower connecting link, the rear end portion of said lower connecting link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest, a support, at least one of said two first mentioned members being swingably mounted on said support, a guiding link, one end of said guiding link being pivotedto said support, the other end of said guiding link being pivoted to one of said two connect ng links at a point spaced from the pivotal conn tion between said two connecting links, a leg-rest swingably mounted on the front portion of said seat, and a controlling mechanism operatively connected with a movable member of the article and said leg-rest for controlling the movements of the latter.

3. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a back-rest having a downwardly extending extension, a seat, the rear end portion of said seat.

1 lower connecting link being pivoted to said extension of. the back-rest, a support, at least one of said two first mentioned members being swingably mounted on said support, a guiding link, one end of said guiding link being pivoted to said support, the other end of said guiding link being pivoted to said lower connecting link at a point of the seat, one end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, the other end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front end portion of said lower connecting link, the rear end portion of said lower connecting link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest, a support, at least one of said two first mentioned members being swingably mounted on said support, a guiding link, one end of said guiding link being pivoted to said support, the other end of said guiding link being pivoted to one of said two connecting links at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said two "connecting links, a leg-rest swingably mounted on the front portion of said seat, and a controlling mechanism operatively connected with said extension of the back-rest and said leg-rest for controlling the movements of the latter in dependence on the movements of the back-rest.

5. A reclining article of furniture, comprising:

a back-rest having a downwardly extending extension, a seat, the rear end portion of said seat being pivoted to said back-rest, a front connecting link, a lower connecting link below the plane of the seat, one end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, the other end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front end portion of said lower connecting link, the rear end portion of said lower connecting link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest, a support, at least one of said two first mentioned members being swingably mounted on said support, a guiding link. one end of said guiding link being pivoted to said support, the other end of said guiding link being pivoted to one of said two connecting links at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said two connecting links, a leg-rest swingably mounted on the front portion of said seat, and a controlling link, one end of said controlling link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest, the other end of said controlling link being pivoted 1 to said leg-rest.

6. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a back-rest having a downwardly extending extension, a seat, the rear end portion of said seat being pivoted to said back-rest, a front connecting link, a lower connecting link below the plane of the seat, one end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, the other end of said front connecting link being pivoted to the front end portion of said lower connecting link, the rear end portion of said lower connecting link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest, a support, at least one of said two first mentioned members being swingably mounted on said support, a guiding link, one end of said guiding link being pivoted to said support, the other end of said guiding link being pivoted to one of said two connecting links at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between said two connecting links. and means whereby the position of the pivotal connection between two movable links of the link-system of the article may be adjusted ANTON LORENZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France June 12, 1939 

